Valve.



A. B. WALLEM.

Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT onnios.

AXEL B. WALLEM, 0F CYNWYD,

PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR TO HARRISON STEELE? BOILER WORKS, QF PHILADELPHIA. PENNSYLVANIA. A COPARTNERSHIP OF PENN-1 SYLVANIA.

VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fil ed March 8. 1911. Serial No. 613,101.

To all [tr/1on1, it may concern l Be it known that 1, Axial, B. Wanmzn, a citizen of the United States, residing at (lynwyd, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valves for use in steam or similar systems in controlling the flow of a vapor and is specially adapted for use in relief-valves for insertion in exhaust lines of steam systems to permit the escape of steam when the pressure thereof rises above a predetermined point. The invention is directed to the provision of a valve of this character having means for etfecther or members.

To this end the invention involves the provision of means for carrying water or other liquid to a valve upon one side of the movable member therein and automatically maintaining the supply of water at a predetermined level. A float-actuated mechanism is preferably employed, arranged to control the operation of a controlling-valve in a pipe for supplying water to the main valve, and in combination with this, an overflow opening is provided whereby any surplus water will be carried off. a

The invention is preferably employed in connection with a valve of the type disclosed in Patent 979,811, this comprising a relief-valve having a plurality of springactuated valve-members, any one of which may be operated independently of the others to relieve against excessive pressure conditions; also, means are provided whereby all of the movable valve-members may be positively raised from their seats so thata free atmospheric exhaust may be had when desired. In such a valve it would be undesirable to supply the sealing-water to the valve when the movable valve-members are so raised from their seats and there-- fore devices are provided whereby the supply of the sealing-water will be cut off when the valve-members are raised from their seats otherwise than by the pressure of the steam thereon.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a vertical section of a reliefvalve, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the mg a water-seal of the movable valve-memthe valves 3 from their seats.

same, and Fig. 3 is a detail view of certain of the parts shown in Fig. l.

Referring to these drawings, lindicates a casing having a plate 2 extending across the same and provided with a pluralityof openings. each of these openings being, adapted to be closed by a valve-member Patented Jun. 30, 1912'.

which is normally held against its seat by a spring 1 coiled about the stem 5 ofthe valve. All of the stems 5 extend through openings in a pressure-plate 6 which engages-the upper ends of all of the springs l. The pressure-plate G has a central threaded opening which spindle T mounted for rotation in beatreceives a threaded ings formed in the plate 2 and in a support 8 extending across the casing above plate Plate (5 also has a plurality of openings therein through which guide-rods f) extend to guide the plate in its vertical movement.

On the upper end of the spindle 7 is a bevel gear 10 meshing with a similar gear 11 on a shaft 12 which extends through the casing of thevalve and is provided with an operating handle 13. By turning the handle 13, the spindle 7 may be rotated and the plate (3 raised and lowered. In this way the,

tension of all of the springs 'l' may be va- 11e(l. or the plate '6 may be raised into engagement with heads 14 formed upon the stems 5 of the valves 3. so as to raise all of Each of the valves 3 may. if desired. beprovided with water or other liquid may be supplied to the valve to effect a water-seal of all of the valvemembers 3. A float-box 1T secured to thecasing 1 with the opening leading therefrom alining with the opening 16 and water enters the float-box 17 through a pipe 18. \Vithin the float-box 17 is'a float 19 secured upon a rock-shatt 20 which extends through the wall. of the box 17 and has a crank 21 secured thereto. This crank is pivotally connected to one end of a reach-rod 2'2. the other end of which is connected to a lever '23 which is adapted to operate a valve 24 in the water-supplypipe 18'. The float-box 17 is provided with an overflowopening from which leads apipe 25. A second opening is provided in the wall of the float-box 17 to receive a rock-shaft 26. \Vithin the float-box, this shaft carries a sector-shaped valve 27 which, when shaft 26 is rocked in its bearing, is adapted to cover or uncover the opening in the wall of the float-box leading to the opening 16 in the valve-casing 1, and thus close oropen the connection from the float-box to the valve casing. Out

side the fioat-bomshaftflfi has a crank 2 8 secured theretoand'a rod 29 connects this crank with one end of a lever 30 pivotally" mounted upon the, valve casing. The oppo site end of this'lever is adapted to be; en gaged by either of'two abutments 31 upon a rod 32 which extends through an'opening in the valve casing and has its'lower end socured to the pressure-plate 6.

With the parts thus constructed, itwill be seen that the float 1.9 will move up and down with the level of the water in'the float-box 17 l/Vhen the float moves down, it operates the shaft 20, crank 21' and rod 22 to open valve 2% and thus allow water to flow through pipe 18, box 17 and opening 16 to the valve-1 above plate 2, so as to-efiec't a water-seal of themovablevalve-members 3;

The water thus admitted to valve 1 will rise within the valve to a. predetermined level and in doing so will raise the'fioat 19; when the predetermined level of the water is reached,- the float will have been raised to such a point that it will close valve 24 and thus out off the supply of water tovalve 1'.

The float-actuated mechanism will act thus to control the supply of water from pipe 18 to the-interior of'valve 1', so as to maintain the desired level of water within the valve above plate A free exhaust to atmosphere may be desirable from time to time. This may be provided by turning the handle 13 so as to raise the plate 6 into engagement with heads vl4 on the stems of the valves 3 and lift the valves. In doing so, the rod 32 is raised with plate 6 and the lower abutment 31 thereon engages and rocks lever 30. This operates through rod 29 to move valve 27 to the-closed position, so that when the valve" members 3 are positively raised from their seats by the plate 6. the supply oi. water to the valve 1 is out olfl I have illustrated the embodiment of my invention which I prefer to employ, but it will be understood that various modifications of theconstruction shown may be e1nployed while still retaining the features of my invention, and all such ,modifications I aim to cover by the terms of the claims appended hereto.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1-. The combination of a valve-casing having Ia passageway therethrough, a valvemember movable in said casing to close and open said passageway, a pipe leading to, the casing onone side of said movable member, a controlling valve in said pipe and means for operating said controlling valve in response to changes of the level ofthe liquid in the ,casingabove said valve'member to malntain" the joint between said member and its seat submerged, substantially as set forth. '2. The combination of a valve-casing having. a passageway therethrough,.- a valvemembermovable in said casing to close and open said passageway, a pipe leading to the casing on one side of said movable member, a'controlling valve in said pipe, a floatchamber connected to the casing, a float thereinactuating said controlling valve in response to changes of the level of the liquid in the casing above said valve-member to maintain the joint between said member and its seat submerged and an overflow opening leading from said float-chamber, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a valve-casing having, a passageway therethrough, a valvemember movable in said casing to close and open said passageway, a pipe leading to the casing on one-side of said movable member, a controlling valve in said pipe, means for operating said controlling valve in response to changes of the level of the liquid in the casing above said valve-member to maintain the jointbetween said member and its seat submerged, means operated from outside the casing for moving said valve-member from its seat and means actuated in so moving the movable valve-member for closing said controlling valve, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a valve having a movable member, means for supplying water thereto to effect a water-seal, means for raising said member from its seat, and

means operated in raising said member from its seat for cutting off said water supply, substantially as set forth.v

5. The combination of a valve having a plurality of spring-pressed valve-members therein, means for simultaneously adjusting the tension of the springs of all said memrbers, means for raising said members from their seats, a pipe for carrying water to the valve to efi'ect a water-seal, a controlling valve in said pipe, and means actuated in raising said valve-members from their seats for moving said controlling valve to the closed position, substantially as set forth.

This specification vsigned and witnessed this 6th day of March, 1911.

AXEL B. WALLEM. Witnesses J. -GA.MBLE,.. WILLIAM S; HALLOWELL. 

